Railway-train-control apparatus.



Patented July 22, 1913,

- 5 SHBBTMHBBT 1.

J. fr. THOMPSON. 1 RAILWAY TRAINA CONTROL APPARATUS.

I l APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 1B, 1910. 1,068,023..

J. T. THOMPSON.

RAILWAY TRAIN CONTROL APPAR'ATUS.

. APPLIUATIOH FILED MAR. 18. 1910. 1,068,023. ratentgd July 22,1913.

5 SBEBTS-SHEBT 2.

J. T.-TH0MPS0N. RAILWAY TRAIN CONTROL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION 1111121)- MLB.. 18, 1910.

.mw mm y@ Ju ,n0 ,ma z ,n M ,f n 7W A,

W mm 1. 4. N r ,mw W/ 0, @z

(L 'I'. THGMPSOlI.A

RAILWAYVTRAIN CGNTROL APPARATUS.

Armi-onion slim MAB; 1a`, 1910.

atented NNN N ANN J. T. THOMPSON. RAILWAY TRAIN GoNi'oL APPARATUS'.

K I APPLICATION PLEI MR.1B, 1910. I l 1 1 ,()68,023. Patent-.fau 51123122, w13.

samTssHE"aT 5.

aw.- 15J .www

. Unrrnp srnrng PATENT GFF-IC N JAMES' T. THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINO'L.. ASSIGNOR TO'THE THOMPSON AUTOn Marre sienai. COMPANY, DAKOTA. 1

0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Al CORPORATION O-IE `'SOUTH RAILWAY-TRAIN-CONTROL APPARATUS.

Spcification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1913i.

Application filed March'l, 1910. Serial No. 550,220.

To @Uw/10mi?? may concern:

Be ity known that I, JAMES T. '.Fiioifirsoiv,l

a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, iii-the county of Cook and State of illinois, have vinvented certain new and useful Iiiiprovei'ncnts in Railwayflrain- Control .Apparat us; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to means for automatically applying brakes to 4railway trains for the purposeof slowing down'or arrest-ing a train or for operating a signal device in the locomotive cab when an attempt is made to drive it-into a prohibited section of the track, as past a signal set against it or into a block occupied by' another train, and-at' other points along tli-e track where provisions are made for controlling the train un'- der predetermined or emergency conditions.

Among the objects of the 'invent-ion is to improve, simplify and render morel certain the intended Voperation of the several parts of the apparatus, and the invention consists detail/illustrating the adaptation of the in the matt-ers hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appendedy 'for operating the' air brake valve to .set lthe brakes. F101 3 is a sideelevation lookinff h D from the opposite sideof said mechanism'. Fig. tis an enlarged detail side elevation 'of the `switch mechanism for controlling the mot-or circuit.. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the 'valve operating mechanism. Fig'. (S is a yfront elevation of the switch shownin Fig.

4:. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of said switch.

Fig. v8 is a'loiigitudinal section of theair release valve of the brake mechanism. Fig.4

9 is a diagrammaticview illustrating ati-ack sect-ion composed of a plurality of signal blocks equipped with a signal system, and

f showing the circuit on the locomotive which mechanism on the locomotive.

cooperates therewith to vcontrol the valve Fig. l() is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modification of the locomotive circuit. Fig. 11 is a to the arof suitable brackets 15, (one of which s shown in Fig. 1) in which are mounted con- .tact wheels or brushes' 16 arranged in line with the locomotive and tender Wheels and adapted to travel on the main track rails 17. l

20 designates, asa ,wholethe motor operated brake valve operating mechanism which is carriedl by the locomotive. It is indicated in Fig. 1 as contained ina casing located in the engineers cab, and is shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.

21 designates as a ,whole the air relief valve of the train pipe which is located in a branch pipe 22 extending upwardly from' that part of the train or service pipe 23 which is carried by the. locomotive. 24 designates the engineers valve connected to said train pipe by a branch 25. The said relief valve 2]. discharges through a pipe '27 whichl may be provided at its end with a whistle 2S. rPhe pipe is also shown asprovided with an openingclosable by a plug 29. The opening through the whistle and that clcsable byV a plug are so proportioned l that when the plug closesA its opening the escape vof air from the train pipe through the whistle will be limited to produce a service stop and when said plug is removed and t-he air escapes .through 'both-openings with sufficient freedom to provide for an emergency stop. l t

The valve operating mechanism 20 is operated by a motor which is controlled by a transient circuit on -the locomotive, and which transient circuit is in turn controlled by predetermined conditions on the track, the arrangement being su'ch that when conditions for slowing the train or `stopping itaiise, the mechanism will be set .in operation to open the valve, release the air from the train pipe to actuate the brake mechanism,

sure'oirthe conical seat 31 formen ing` guiding engagement with the boiie"'of said branch. The valve piece is normally in the'io upper end ofthe branch 22. the steni B2 =havl held against its seat by an eccentric 33 which 1is'located in the casing 34 of the valve and is fixed toa rock shaft that is bearing in theside walls of the casing. Said shaftis adaptedv to be rocked by a crank arm 36 which is connected with the valve operating mechanism in a manner hereinafter to be described. A light spring 37 -is applied to the stem for holding it against its' seat when pressure on bot-h sides of the valve is substantially equ'alized. V

To the upper end of the crank arm 36 is pivoted one end of a connecting rod 40, which latter is pivoted at its other end to a vertically rocking lever 41 which is pivoted at its lower end -to a pivot pin 42 carried by the base 43 of the valve operating mechanism. The rocking lever 41 is provided with a laterally extending roller bearing stud 45 which engages the closed cani groove 46 of acam'disk 47 that is rotatively mount-- ed on a horizontal shaft 48 carried by' the upper 'ends of standards 49 rising from the base plate 43. The said cam disk is operated by an electric motor 51 mounted onthe base plate 43, which inotor' is connected to the disk byl a speed reducing mechanism comprising the pinion 52 fixed to the inotor shaft, the gear 53 that is fixed to the shaft 54 mounted in standard 55, 55, the pinion 56 xedto the latter shaft, the gear wheel 57 meshing with said llatter pinion and mounted on the shaft 58 that is supported in standards), 59, the pinion 60 rotating' with the gear wheel 57, and the gear wheel 61 mounted on said shaft 48 and connected to and rotating with the grooved cain disk 47 iii-,any suitable manner. The nest of gears reduces the speed of the motor, when transmitted to the cam disk, to give a suitable slow speed thereto to operate the valve.

.'l`he cam groove 46 is shaped to provide two short eccentric portions 65, 66, and a longer connecting concentric portion, one of said eccentric portions operating to open the valve as ythe roller bearing study 45 passes therethrough, and the other tol close the valve, and the concentric portion operating to hold the valve open. As shown in Fiff. 2 the valve is in its open position, andv is about tobe moved to its closed position by the passage of the roller bearing stud of the' lever 41 through thel eccentric 'part rGG of the cani groove. Asshown in Fig. 3 the valve' is in f its closed position, 'inwhich position the roller bearing stud 45 will occupy the lowest part of the cani groove betweent-he `eccentric portions thereof. v n i l f l The motor 51 isincluded in an electric'ccir-y cuit, hereinafterl designated asthe motor circuit,which embracesa `battery 67 carried on ythe locomotive `(Figslf'and y9'). Said circuit includes a switch designated*I asal whole by 68lin Fig. 9, yand illustratedfindei tail in Figs. 411,6 and by the closing of ywhich the motor is started in motion to effect the operation of the valve 21, and the opening of which stops the motorl and discontinues the operation of the valve. Means are provided for actuating the switch 68 to close the same by themoinentary passing of an electric current through a controlling circuit carried principally by the locomotive and hereinafter to be. described.

The switch 68 is in the nature of a double knife switch. The blades or members 7 0, 70, however, are made of disk form, they being arranged side by side and axially alined and eachniounted on a short shaft 71 carried by a pair of arms 72, 72 which are attachedto and extend forwardly from a support 73.

Said arms terminate at the back of said support in binding posts 74, 74 to which the conductors of the motor circuit are attached.

Copera-ting with each disk is a pair of blades '75, 7 5`each arranged above one of the pair of bearing arms 72, and which bear on opposite sides of the disk. Said blades 75, T5-are attached to andyextend forwardly from the support 73 and terminate at the rear 'of'vsalid support in binding posts .76. They bear on the opposite sidesof the disks near the margins of the latter and each disk is made principally of conducting metal. The said disks are in electrical contact with the shafts 71, sothat'when the blades are engaged with the metal portions of the disks the motor circuit is completed through the blades, the disks and the bearing arms of the disks. A portion ofthe marginal parts vof the disks engaged by said blades comprises iiisulation 77 whichwlien the disks are rotated to bring the insulation in. bearing with the blades 75, opens the motor circuit. This is. the 4position of the parts as illustrated in Fig. 3. The said disks are swung into position for engagement of the blades with the inetalfor conducting portions of the disks to'close t-he motor circuit by means of a weight SO that is connected to the disks by an arm 81 which extends over the support 73. yThe forward end of said arm, whichis bifurcated, is shown as attachedto a cross bar S3 (Figs. 6 and 7) which extends between and is attached tothe disks. The throw of vthe switch blades into their ,closing position may be limited vby engagement; of the .weight arm 81 with the u) erend of the sua ort 73 as shown in l P P i Fig. 2. l I l "1`he'diskshare held in their normal posi- 'ftion to open the 'motor circuit by Ameans of a verticallyswinging latch 85 which is pivotedl a'tits reaivend'to the support 73 and upheld by a suitable springy against a tooth .SG'carried by a cross bar` S7 extending between and attached to the disks in the inannershown in Figs.A 3, 4 and G.vr Said `latch .isiherein shown as provided ,with a contact roller 88 arranged between the latthereby permitting saidtooth toretreat sufthe magnet 9 1, includes also a eo .era-l members of' the latch (Fig. 7)' and which isv directly' ei'igaged'by said tooth SG. The latch is normally locked up against the tooth 86 by means ot' theA armature 90 of an electromagnet 91 that is included in a.

tate, iiiider'the impulse 'ottlie weightSO,

from the position shoivnf` in Fig totliat shown iii Fig. 9., to close the 'motor circuit..v Theclosing of tli'ejbijancli circuit through -themagnet 91 is but' niomentary,.aiid When the said circuit is again opened .the armature rais'es 'into locking position, under -tlhe iiitiuence of a suitably applied spring, to the. positionshown in Fig.A 2. Ino'rder. to permit 4the tooth 86 of the switch disks to pass the roller 'cont-act'of the latch 8 when the disks' are returned to their normal closing' 'sition7 the said tooth is arranged to slide upwardly throughthe bar 8 7 against the action of ai' spring 93, shown. best in Fig. G,

.ficiently to passthe contact rollerof the latch. "The said sWitclrdisksare restored to normal or'openingpositions by the followingl` deiices'j 'w'h icli operate upon' the closing movement. ofthe release yalve 'ot the train s'eryiceV pipe., 95 .designates a horizontally reciprocating rod w hicli has guiding engagement iii'- asleeveor bearing. 96 carrie-dby theiipper end of-.a standard 9T rising from the base plate L13. `The forward end of said. rod is connected by a. short link 98. with 'theuipp'er .end of the cam actuated rockingwlever 41. The rear end of the 'said rod 95 carres a gravtyfcatch 99 pivoted thereto'VA and provided with a detent 100 .-'whichlies in the path of a tooth 101 that extends upwardly from the. cross bar 83 to Wliich'the Weight arm'. is attached. .The said. catch is provided at. its end opposite the deteiit with the Weight 102. lVhen therod 95 moves outiwardly, during the opening movementlOf theyalVe, the detent .will ride. over-...the tooth 101, permitted by the siring- `.ing act-ion ofthe catch, and when the guide rod moves inthe' other direction during the closingincrement ot'the valve thewei'ght 1.02 holds the deteiit in position to catch the tooth 101 in a. -manner to turn the switch disksinto their opening positions, -and therebysopen tlieniotor circuit. y

The 'branch circuit., in which is included battery 105 (Fig. 9) and is n'oimallyopen. It is closed betweeii--tWocontact points 10G, 10G-,by .the armature'l of a. relay .magnet 108 in 'o ircuit'W-ith thebattery 105, as h erein shown.-v The relay circuit 108 is normally closed through the contact of said semaphore to i moved wheels or brushes andy;

the track rails iir ainanner presentlyto -b described. The s aid c intactI Wheels or brusheslG are .insulated from' each other and from the main .traine ofthe locomotive- Y and tender. lVhen the said j -wheels or rails; or rail's'tliat-'are energized 'artdxboniled 10S.

together1 the battery andthe relay I'zo brushes 1o are running on thecoiitiiiuous Will bef in acircuit 'which' is maintained,

closedl through' thefcontaet `wheels' or brushes and through the adjacent locomotire tender wheels 'andtheir'axlesff' The circuit' at such time willb'e fromone'Side-ot' 'the relay magnet '108, through the contact Wheelv or brush 16,' thence *along thel track vrail atone sdeof` theftrac'lr-to the adjacentn locomotive .and tender wheels ontliat 'side If the breek, tlience-througl--tlie axles vof vsaid wheels to the correspondii'ig flocoinotiye and tender Wheels'onthe 'other side of the thence througl'r battei'y1 '105 side 'of relay 'magnet 10'8.. Y Thel armature 10T is therefore held .normally againsttlie poles of therelay magneti.- Aninterruption-j Vcircuit has'the-eli'eet to denergi'ze I lsaid magnet `108,'= urhereupon thegarmatuie 107 .drops tothe terminalsv orhaelfstops 100.,

ofthe 'branch circuitand 'closes said circuit,

through themagnet '91, tliereby attracting the armature 90 aivayifromjthe nose of theswitch holdinglatclij and'permittingtl'ie switch to close .under thev 'action 'of' the Weight 80, iii-the vmannerbefore. described.

to'thus close thein'O'tOi circuit-maybe eject--` ed in a variety of different ways.' I have '.169 The interrupt-ion `of the controlling circuit shown in Fig. 9 an. arrar'i'gement` generally' L similar to that illustrated in my aforesaid prior application -a'nd 4is made` as follows:

The. section of tracki-llustrated in said Fig.

9 embracestw full signal blocks A," B and 4a portionof an advance'block-C, on which latter block is indicated one of the transient.

motor controlling circuits which iscarried by a train onthe block- A. The yseveral blocks the loco-motive of a.train. D designates? of 4the track are shown as equipped with a.- .i

fainiliai`-foriii of'blook-signal apparatus in which there isemployed atfeachblock'a bate tery 110 bridged between the track ,railsto normally energize a track'- magnet.1-11,.the

armature 112 of which controls a local sig-V nal circuit 113 locatedlfat. the entrance to the battery 111 and a relay magnet '1151Which 120 block. `Said local" signal circuitl embraces a when" energized, will operate a targetor the swinging armature-lever ndicatev aclear blo-ck ahead.

112I Which,y by the swinging movement of tlie armature is into and out ofZ contact. with spring :terminals 118? .included in said- 4circuit When the .train enters upon the j bloclt 4 contacts 121 'which are electrically connectedi with two short rail. 's ectio'ns122, 122 located the. far' end of the block.' Bond -Wires '125v extend around: the linsulated :ra-il sections to' maintain .electric conductivity. of the track railso each block at both sides of said' insu' valve operating mechanism'in motion.

-' fuse will open the'circnit, with the saine re- 'tions are of suclilen'gthlthatwheri thecon-4 vtact wheels or' brushe"s 16 are lin contact with l-the-sarnejin' passing thereover, none of the.

sam'e 'time .o'ccup'yior -engagesaid' sections- The terminals 121-,` ,thefinsulated rail`fsec tions 122 andi the'coi'hiecting wires' constitute a loopizthroughj whiclfi` the controllingv brushjes.l are ridingover the"insulated rail' sections,'^a nd at which4 tim'e tliecircuit is -porting wheels-of' the locomotive". That is brushes* on 'the insulated rail section will in- 'circuiting the controlling. circuit of the re- -suitable resistance,- indicated at`130', locatedA 'er brushes 1G, and provide ina'no'ther part ofthe circuit adjacent to the relai7 108 a fuse vusual or inedeterinined conditions.

shortpcircuited, thus d energ'izing the -magnet 111 and-.opening the local signal circuit The armature 112 is providedwith a 'sec-iond .contact 120 adapted to connect 'spring inline with,. a'nd`insulated fronnthe main track. rail 17,v 1'?, said insulated sections loeing'located at 'a'fsuitable {distancel inside 'of lated rail sections. .Said insulated rail secregular engine or tender'wheels-Will at the.

circuit is closed-)vheiithenontact wheels or broken'4 lbetween` `sai'd l contact n'rheels- .orbrushes 'Tand -the V regular traction and v sup-l t0. say, .the controllingfcircuit be so closed when the contact' 120 is 'engaged with' the termina-ls 121 of the loop circuit, so that at lsuch time there will be no interruption of vthe controlling circuit `and -no' operation of thefvalveoperating mechanism.` When the loop 'is 'open-'however at the terminals 1214., the passage 'of the contact 'Wheels or terrupt orjol'ienfthe controlling circuit and thereby close the motor'. circuit to -set the 'In-orderv to avoid the contingency of short lay 10S, I may. provide-in said circuit a near or in tliestructure of the 'contact wheels 131, (Figs. 9 andlO). In case the controlling circuit be short-circuited between said resistance and tl1e'fuse, the overloadon the sult as though it were opened under the Snitable testing appl-iaiices \vill be provided for 'ln Figs. 10 and l1 I have shown tlie adaptation of thc disk forni' of inotor cu-, cuit switch to another arrangwincnt of controlling circuit. wherein the circuit that is. closed through the -rails operates directly 1 track.

ates? directly'on a.I tripping 'mechanism for the switch, the latter designatedas a whole by 137-,vthe terminals -or binding posts off which-are-in circuit -with the motor 138,l and a-battery139 or other source of electrical energy. The tripping mechanism rel ferred -to comprises asvvinging lockinglatch 141 that is piiloted to a support-14f2 and acts at one. end against' the holdin .or lockingtooth' 86 ofthe sw'itchjdisks. he 'other end of-said'latch isconnectedlby a link 142 and said armature is provided "with atail device. 'lVith this arrangement when the with the armature-143 of themagnet 135,-'

piece 144 that is connected by a spiralcon- 4tra'ctible spring 145; with the base *146..ofthe armature 143 is drawn downwardly b .the

energized inagnet135'the latch 141 is llel'd up in locking position to 'lock the sniitch disks in their opening posit-ion. When. the controlling circuit-is broken andthe magnet i denergized the spring 145 or anal'o ous device releases the locking latch from t 1e toothl 86 andpermits the switch to move into clos-F ing positionjto close tlie motor circuit,

' It will of course beunderstood thatthe controlling` circuit may be operated inj-conjunctionwith, or independently of, localsignals,.such as seina'pliores at the' junctions of blocks,` 4and it will furthermore be understood, that', so far as is concerned the general arrangement and construction of the 'valve actuating' mechanism, and certain features of the circuit, the controlling circuit may be otherwise arranged to transmit-starting impulses to the valve actuating mechan'isin :itpredetermined points along the It ivill be understood that the' circuit described may operate 'a signal device'in the cab eithertogether with or independently of the valI 'controlling devices. 321;;

The operation of the systeinorapparaftns will be plain` from the foregoingA lint-maville briefly restated as olloivs lVhen i the contact ivheels or' brushes 1G-are traveliiig on track rails electricallyT continuous -ivith those n which the -locoinotiveaiid tender Wheels. travel, the controllingl circuit. including the rela)1 '10S or "the rela)7 135) is maintained closed. 4ll'hcn'the contact Wheel or shoe pass onto the'insnlated rail sections 1'2'2 at a time ivhc'n the loop. including the terminal ll, is open. the said controlling circuit will las be open, thereby dciincrgfizing' vthe magnet' t 10S (or 1535). whereby l'lievalvc ('pcialiina' mechanism will beset in motion in the iiian' nel' described. The inotmdrives' the cani disk -tT ccntinuonsl)v in one direction and in cach cvclc of operation ol tli'c mechanism the rocking lcverll acts. lthrough thc link t0 by its interruption to etfect .the closing of i and crank arm 36, toY first open the valve,

hold it open for a predetermined period and then close the valve. and duringthe closing movement of the valve the detent 100 of the- 3ivotedcatch 99 engages vthe tooth lOl ot the. switch disks to 'shift the switch to its opening position and open the motor circuit and arrest further operation of the valve mecha-- ranged to travel in engagement vvith the. track 1ails, the contact devices being 1nsul lated from each other and adapted to complete the controllingy circuit and hold it nor mally closed through the track rails and locomotive Wheels, means at the track rails for openingn said circuit at predetermined points and' means for opening' the controlling circuit Vupon a short circuiting' thereof to deenergize said magnet. 4

2. An electric control or signal'system for railvvay trains comprising, in combination` a controlling` or signaling apparatus carried upon the locomotive, an electro-magnet carried by the llocomotive adapted, when energized, to render said apparatus inoperative,

a normally closed controlling' circuit tor said electro-magnet including` a battery carried by the locomotive and contact devices arranged to travel in engagement with the track rails, the contactdevi'ces beiner insulated from each other andv adapted to complete the controlling circuit and holdit normallyclosed through the tracl rails and locomotive ivheels, and means at thetrack rails for opening' said circuit at predetermined points,,said.circuit including); a resistance element adjacent to thecontact device and a fuse located adjacent to the electromagnet.V

in electric control or signal system tor railvvay trains comprising, in combination, a'controlling' or signaling"apparatus carried by the locomotive, a motor for operating` the same.. a motor circuit including a source of electrical energy and svvitch7 means `for lockiimy said switch -in its circuit opening positiorn a Weight applied to t-he switch to shift the switch to its Icircuit closing lposition when the locking' means are released, an electromagnet adapted, when denergized, to release said locking` means, a controllfmp,` circuit including' said electromagnet and a battery carried by the locomotive and provided vvith contactdevices vvhich travel along the traclrails said circuit beingnormally closed through thetracl rails and locomotive Wheels and means along' the tra-ck for opening;` the nori'nally closed controlling` circuit and' to thereby denergize said electromagnet. y

In testimony, hat claim the foregoing as my invention I atlix my Signature in the presence of tivo witnesses, this 3rd day of March D. 1910.

JAMES .T. THOMPSON. Wi tnesses L. HALL, XV'. Gotnrnnsnn. 

